Air intake mechanism for air filter machines



A ril 24,1951 E. P. samv 2,550,384 v Filed Deq. 27, 7194s t Izsheets-sheet 1 AIR INTAKE MECHANISM FOR AIR FILTER MACHINES the hose.

Patented Apr. 24, 1951 7 AIR INTAKE MECHANISM FOR AIR FILTER MACHINESEdgar P. Senn, Rockville Centre, N. Y. Application December 27, 1948,Serial No. 67,497

6 Claims.

7 1 This invention relates to improvements in air intake mechanisms forair filter machines, for

' example, vacuum cleaners either of the relatively fixed position typeor those of the type adapted to be freely and easily propelled over afloor in any desired random direction by small manual forces applied bya domestic user such as those disclosed and claimed in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 749,772, filed May. 22, 1947, and my abandonedapplication Serial No. 702,389, filed October 10, 1946.

It has among its objects the provision of a yoke-like air inletmechanism which, while advantageous in many different. types of cleanerswhether mobile or stationary, is nevertheless especially advantageous invacuum cleaners of the type of my aforesaid applications. Theseadvantages arise from several structural charactristics of the yokemechanism. In the first place, because it directs the intake to a, moreconvenient point of entry into the filter mechanism, it frees much ofthe space within the chassis hitherto taken up by hose attachmentmechanisms for better employment as space for enlarged filter bagcapacity. Secondly, the fact that the yoke is freely rotatable about itsown axis and. may be attached at the center of gravity of the machineproper, facilitates turning movements of and prevents the transmissionto the machine proper of many of the operator's random. manual forceswhich would be transmitted normally through the hose to rock and movethe machine unnecessarily. The result is that the machine, andespecially its chassis which is now free of eccentric hose attachment,has greater tendency to, stay in its normal upright or equilibriumposition. Further, the use of the yoke minimizes the amount of flexingof the air intake hose and thereby eliminates to a substantial degreeone factor which ordinarily causes wear of It may even be employed as ahandle for transportation or as a means for actuating the motor controlswitch as disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No.67,498 filed concurrently herewith.

The features of the invention on which patent protection is sought areset forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, together withfurs ther objects and the advantages thereof may best be understood byreference to the following speci no ation and accompanying drawingsillustrating a pref rr d embodiment of the invention. In the drawing,the Fig. 1 illustrates in perspective a machine of the eneral ype of myaforesaid applications and embodying the present inventiom 2 the F 2represents a vertical cross-section through a longitudinal plane midwaybetween the Wheels Of such a, machine; the Fig. 3 illustrates ahorizontal cross-section taken along the line of 33 of the Fig. 2; whilethe Fig. 4 illustrates a suitable filter bag construction for themachine of the preceding figures.

Referring now to the Fig. 1 in particular, the machine I may comprise,generally, a central chassis I mounted for free rotation about somehorizontal axis of support such as that of a pair of supporting wheels2-7-2 substantially as described in the aforesaid applications. Thechassis I may be so arranged on its axis of support that it normallyassumes an upright equilibrium position in which it is stabilized by theweight of the motor fan unit 3 (Fig. 2) eccentrically positioned withrespect to the axis of support. For the purpose of providing a suitableinlet channel for air sucked in through the portable exploring hose 4having the exploring wand 5 on the distal v endthereof, there may beprovided in accordance with the present invention a hollow yoke-likememberfi having side arms 1 with inwardly projecting ends 8 (Fig. 3)journaled concentrically with the wheels 2. and mounted forfree'rotation with respect thereto and also with respect to the chassisI. In order to complete the general spherical appearance of the machine,the bulbous portions 9 may be added and so constructed that the yokearms extend therethrough as indicated by the Fig. 3.

- With suitable power supply means and connecting circuits (not shown),motor fan unit 3 may be controlled by suitable switch means which may,for example, be of the type disclosed and claimed in myco-pending'application, Serial No. 67,498 filed concurrently herewith inwhich the switch is actuated on or off by the manipulation of the hoseby the operator. The switch is shown in this case'as taking the form ofa contact switch In mounted on the chassis I at some predeterminedangular relation to the horizontal position of the yoke whereupon smallmovements of the hose and the attached yoke in the upward direction willswitch this switch on and off alternately 'at the will of the operator.

The Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show the construction in somewhat greater detail.As there shown, the chassis I is provided with a central normallyhorizontal wall II perforated at its outer edges forthe. passage of airtherethrough as shown in Fig. 3. Wall ll divides chassis I into upperfilter" and lower air-propulsion compartments I2 and I3 respectively. Inthe air filter compartment there is arranged a suitable removable andreplaceable filter bag I4 (Fig. 4) adapted to have its inlet orifices I5aligned with the inlet portions of the yoke ends 8 and supported bymember l6. Member [6 may be a trough-like device having upwardlyextending side walls IBA around its peripheral edges. In the lower orair propulsion compartment I3 there is provided a suitable electricdriving motor and fan unit 3 which draws the air into the machinethrough the yoke, through the filter bag, upward and over side wall IBA,downward through the space 11 between side walls 16A and the chassiswalls, through the perforations 18 of wall ll respec tively, through theair propulsion compartment 13 and out of the exit orifice l9-all in thepath indicated by the arrows. To separate the inlet and outlet ends ofmotor fan unit 3, and isolate the outlet end from the filtercompartment, a suitable wall 3A is provided. For the purpose of removalof the filter bag! a suitable hinge door 20, hinged at 2| and adapted tobe retained in normally closed position by manually releasable mechanism22 is provided.

As best seen in the Fig. 3, the wheels 2 may be mounted, preferably byfriction reducing means, to rotate freely about the ends 8 of the yoke5. For example, collars 23 affixed to arms 8 may be formed to receivehubs 24 of the wheels 2. In a similar manner, the chassis -l may bemounted to rotate freely about the ends 8. The means are shown inthis'embodiment as comprising the collar or end plate 25 concentricallymounted on the collar 23 by use of a ring 26.

The outer walls of the chassis I may be aiifixed,

as by Welding, at the points 21 to end plate 25 which thereby also formsa wall of the chassis. As already indicated, the side walls 28 aiilxedto the yoke and rotatable therewith, may be provided with the bulbousportions 9 Welded to the outer periphery thereof in order to completethe general spherical shape of the machine. The member :5 which formsthe immediate support for the filter bag 54 may be affixed by anysuitable means as by attachment to the chassis central wall H by anysuitable supports (not shown). The filter bag [4 may take the generalform of a semi-cylinder as shown by the Fig. 4 and may be of the usualfiexible or semi-rigid construction or may embody the invention claimedand described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 27,277, filed May15, 1948, now Patent No. 2,543,556, dated February 27, 1951. Preferablyit will include some means for forming a dust tight seal between the bagand the yoke. For example, resilient collars 29 of rubber or likematerial may be arranged to engage firmly the collars 35 mounted on theyoke ends 8 to facilitate firm fitting between the collars of the filterbag, the collars 30 are slidable along the longitudinal direction of theyoke end 8 and biased inwardly by suitable means such as springs 3|.Suitable stop members are provided to prevent the collars from slidingcompletely off the end of the shaft.

7 I have shown the filter bag and yoke arrangement as providing inletsfor the air from either side, but it will be apparent that the machinemay be modified to provide such inlet on only one side. In that case,the one arm of the yoke may be left without connection to the filter bagand the filter bag may be provided with an inlet orifice only on the oneside.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of the invention,it will be under-' stood that numerous modifications thereof will occurto those skilled in the art to which it pertains. All such as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of my invention I aim to include withinthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. An air filtering machine of the type adapted to be propelled over afloor comprising a pair of wheels and a chassis suspended between saidwheels for free rotation about the'axis' thereof, said chassis includinga filter chamber, and a hollow yoke having an inlet port and endsjourn'aled in said machine concentrically with said axis on oppositesides of said chassis, said yoke defining a flow path for the flow ofair to be filtered from said inlet port into said chamber.

2. An air filter machine of the type adapted to be propelled over afloor comprising a pair of wheels and a chassis suspended between saidwheels for free rotation about the axis thereof, said chassis includinga filter chamber, and a hollow generally u-shaped yoke having endsjournaled coaxially with said axis on opposite sides of said chamber andan air inlet port in the crossarm of said yoke adapted to connect withthe end of a flexible cleaning hose, means connecting at least one ofsaid yoke ends to said chamber whereby said yoke and said latter meansdefine a flow path for the flow of air to be filtered from said inletport into said chamber.

3. A vacuum cleaner of the type adapted to be propelled over a fioor byforces exerted on a port.

able exploring hose comprising in combination a pair of wheels and achassis suspended between said wheels for free rotation about the axisthereof, said chassis including a filter chamber, and a hollow yokehaving an inlet port adapted to connect with the end of a portableexploring hose and ends journaled in said cleaner concentrically withsaid axis, said yoke defining a flow path for the fiow of air to befiltered from said inlet port into said chamber and constituting a meansfor transmitting propulsion forces exerted on such a hose to saidcleaner.

4. A vacuum cleaner of thetype adapted to be propelled over a floor byforces exerted on a portable exploring hose comprising in combination apair of wheels and a chassis suspended between said wheels for freerotation about the axis thereof, said chassis including a filterchamber, a hollow generally U-shaped yoke having ends journaled in saidcleaner coaxially with said axis on opposite sides of said chamber andan air inlet port in the crossarm of said yoke adapted to connect withthe end of a portable exploring hose, and means connecting at least oneof said be propelled over a floor by forces exerted on a portableexploring hose comprising in combination a pair of wheels and a chassissuspended between said wheels for free rotation about the axisthereof,said chassis including a filter. cham-.

ber and air propulsion means weighted and posi-.

tioned normally to stabilize said chassisin an upright equilibriumposition, and a hollow yoke having an inlet port adapted to connect withthe end of a portable exploring hose and ends journaledinsaid cleanerconcentrically with said axis, said yoke defining a fiow path for theflow of air to be filtered from said inlet port into said chamber andconstituting a means for transmitting propulsion forces exerted on sucha hose to said cleaner. V

6. A vacuum cleaner of the type adapted to be propelled over a floor byforces exerted on a portable exploring hose comprising in combination apair of wheels and a chassis suspended between said wheels for freerotation about the axis thereof, said chassis including a filter chamberand air propulsion means weighted and positioned normally to stabilizesaid chassis in an upright equilibrium position, a hollow generallyU-shaped yoke having ends journaled in said cleaner coaxially with saidaxis on opposite sides of said chamber'and an air inlet port in thecrossarm of said yoke adapted. to connect with the end of a portableexploring hose, and means connecting at least one of said yoke ends tosaid chamber, all whereby said yoke and said latter means define a fiowpath for the flow of air to be filtered from said inlet port into saidchamber and said yoke constitutes a means for transmitting propulsionforces exerted on such a hose to said cleaner.

EDGAR P. SENNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Germany Aug, 7, 1935

